Wedding Reception•Reviewed on July 25, 2016•From Long Island City, NY
I was so impressed by Amy Bateman and the musicians she works with. I really challenged them by giving them original works to play that were not in their repetoire and they rose to the occassion, playing the difficult pieces flawlessly. One of the benefits of being in New York City is having access to musicians of this caliber for your wedding. You should feel honored and lucky if you are able to book them.
Wedding Ceremony•Reviewed on July 25, 2016•From New York City, NY
Charlie and his crew did such an amazing job at our wedding! Leading up to the point, he was calm, professional and very informative on how the process works! He was able to accommodate last minute requests we asked for! They showed up on time and slipped out unnoticed! My guests enjoyed the music during the cocktail hour and while waiting for me to come down the aisle! Excellent job, SO glad we decided to go with The New York String Ensemble!!
Wedding Ceremony•Reviewed on May 12, 2016•From Brooklyn, NY
I would definitely recommend The New York String Ensemble to anyone. Charlie Apicella, the head of the Ensemble, is very up-front, professional, and easy to worth with. Their rates are reasonable and their contract is straightforward. They are also flexible. Most importantly, their performance was phenomenal. They hit every cue and knew exactly when and how to cut off for different elements of the ceremony (in addition to processional and recessional music, we had short interludes for candle lighting during the ceremony which required the trio to find an appropriate time and manner to cease playing before the ceremony to continue.)
Wedding•Reviewed on July 11, 2015•From Block Island, RI
Amy did an incredible job at our wedding. She was incredibly professional and she performed beautifully. She played for our wedding ceremony. The wedding march song was a surprise for my new husband: "Is This Love" by Bob Marley. Amy and her husband did an incredible job adapting the song for violin and it came out beautifully (I get a little teary hearing it on our wedding video). She performed exactly as requested, was prompt and exceeded all my expectations. Thank you for helping to make our day special.
Wedding•Reviewed on June 11, 2014•From New York City, NY
I can't tell you enough how talented, accommodating, professional, friendly and so well put together these gentlemen were. I hit the jackpot with these musicians! They are now 'my go to jazz band' for all wedding requests. Great job guys!
Event•Reviewed on February 25, 2013•From Philadelphia, PA
Everything was perfect--music, variety, skill, personalities--I would hire this group again in a heartbeat. And several of my guests were / are very competent, educated musicians, and they felt as I do.
Corporate Function•Reviewed on January 25, 2013•From New York City, NY
Charlie Apicella and his band were great! They scouted out the site ahead of time so they were familiar with the logistics in advance. They were pretty much self sufficient and allowed me to tend to the needs of my guests. They came prepared with a disc to play during breaks, so there was never 'dead air.' And the live music was phenomenal. Everyone commented on how great the band was, and even though it was a corporate function, we even had guests dancing! These guys did a great job, showed up early, worked hard and worked within my budget. Couldn't ask for more.
Wedding Ceremony•Reviewed on November 10, 2013•From New York City, NY
We are very happy to have chosen The New York String Ensemble to play our wedding ceremony. Charlie and his wife Amy played guitar and violin as a duo, and were able to work with the church's music coordinator and organist to arrange for smooth transitions between strings and organ pieces. Charlie and Amy are flexible and were able to accommodate our wishes. The result was amazing!
Great job!
Wedding Reception•Reviewed on June 5, 2014•From Norwalk, CT
Charlie and the whole ensemble were excellent--thoughtful, accommodating, and talented. We were very indecisive throughout the entire process, for example having a hard time choosing the order of the reception (dinner and then dancing? dancing and then dinner? dancing, dinner, dancing? etc.); Charlie was a great help in nudging us along. We felt educated and supported, which meant a lot to us. On the actual day of our wedding, everything was seamless. We loved the band's delicacy during the ceremony, their verve during the reception, and their general feel. Could not recommend more highly.
Wedding Ceremony•Reviewed on April 30, 2013•From Long Island, NY
Being a musician that has played in weddings, I wanted to make sure that the quality of music that was played at our ceremony was top-notch. NY String Ensemble certainly went BEYOND my expectations. The group was very professional in preparing our music. The music at the ceremony was played so well and coordinated with what we wanted, that audience members were raving about how the music gave the ceremony so much more life!
I give perfect scores because everything was so perfect, So much that Charlie wore our wedding colors - purely coincidental, but worth mentioning :) Thank you so much for everything you did to make our wedding so special!
Concert•Reviewed on December 31, 2012•From Palisades Park, NJ
The Mayans were correct . . .
We had a Classical/Holiday Concert & Wine/Cheese Social at our church, featuring the New York String Ensemble, on the day that was to be the end of the world. Our world didn't exactly end, but a new one did begin. A world of enjoyable and entertaining music, as the NYSE w/Guitar, serenaded us into a world of relaxation and holiday spirit. This group is not only amazingly talented, but a harmonious blend of wonderful people, in addition to their musical prowess. They are a first-rate string quartet, and we are certainly looking forward to making this an annual event.
I highly recommend this group.
-John Portscher
Engagement Party•Reviewed on July 13, 2012•From New York City, NY
Charlie was very professional and on point. We went through all of my requests and schedule for the evening and he made it happen. It was a surprise party for my girlfriend so important he got there on time, set up, and ready to perform by the time we arrived and he executed perfectly.
Event•Reviewed on January 30, 2012•From New York City, NY
Amy Bateman and Charlie Apicella are two fabulous artists who love music and happy to share their gift. Their music transformed the evening of women leaders that I had planned by adding warmth and beauty. They were also terrific to deal with, and I will be calling them again for my future events.
Wedding•Reviewed on July 10, 2013•From Galloway, NJ
Charlie and his band are so talented! They provided all of the music for our June 2013 wedding. Their cool jazz sound set the tone for our whole day (ceremony, cocktail hour and reception). Carrie Jackson's vocals were amazing. Her voice was captavating.
The New York String Ensemble was a pleasure to work with!
Studio Session•Reviewed on May 31, 2013•From New York City, NY
I had booked The New York String Ensemble to record an original score written for a string quartet by a composer to accompany an original piece of recorded music I had written. Not your average gig. They came in having rehearsed the parts prior to the recording and showed great dedication to getting as good as it could be. Everyone involved, myself and two very expirienced recording engineers were thriilled with the results. Amy, Caleb, Mario and Patrick were all complete professionals. I would have to say my experience with The New York String Ensemble was a high could not have been more pleased. A high point in my musical journey which has included 100+ recordings
